THE MARKET: Will “Who Is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator?” on ABC make it past a third episode? The reality show is scheduled to premiere in its regular timeslot on Wednesday, May 30, and will run weekly. Trading will cease the day before its scheduled third episode on June 13. If a fourth episode airs, shares are worth $100. If it doesn’t, they’re worth $0.
THE LOWDOWN: We skimped on the title. Correctly put (for purists) this is “The Next Big Thing: Who Is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator?” Recent shows such as “Drive” and Donnie Osmond’s “Great American Dream Vote” never made it to episode three this season. So network executives have shown their willingness to pull the plug, to say the least. Then again, ABC has shown prowess in the reality genre, with its recent “The Bachelor” finale performing strongly against tough competition. So the question is this: will that fourth episode ever see the light of day on mainstream television? (Streaming video at ABC’s website – along with the inevitable black-market DVDs – won’t be counted.)
THE PR: From ABC’s website: “In each episode, a panel of popular well-known judges – comedians Jeffrey Ross (Comedy Central Roasts, The Aristocrats), Lisa Ann Walter (The Parent Trap, Shall We Dance?) and Elon Gold (Stacked, Cheaper by the Dozen) – will use their razor-sharp wit and comedic skills as they evaluate, critique and sometimes skewer celebrity impersonators based on how much they look, sound and act like the celebrity they’re impersonating. The judges will determine who will go on to compete in the next round of auditions, while America will vote for the final winning impersonator through a viewer voting system. The winner will receive a grand prize of $100,000.”
LEARN MORE: You can see a promotional video at The Next Big Thing home page. If ABC releases this video for public use, we’ll embed it here.